Vehicle seat

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat that enables shortening a dimension in a lateral direction thereof while securing a sufficient seat space for right and left seated persons.SOLUTION: A rear end portion of a seat cushion 110 of a driver's seat 101 is located behind a front end portion of the seat cushion 110 of a passenger's seat 102. A left surface SF1 of the seat cushion 102 of the driver's seat 101 is located on a left side of a right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger's seat 102. A relief portion is provided at least at one of a left end portion of the driver seat 101 and a right end portion of the passenger seat 102 so as to prevent interference between the left end portion of the driver seat 101 and the right end portion of the passenger seat 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a seat disposed behind a driver's seat, in which a recess formed in a concave shape toward the rear is provided in the front center portion of the seat cushion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the seat described in Patent Document 1, a pair of left and right seat cushion portions are provided on both left and right sides of the recess of the seat cushion so that a passenger can be seated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-149823 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in cases where a person frequently sits alone in the driver's seat but may also sit with a passenger in the passenger seat, there is a need to configure a small vehicle with as short a lateral dimension as possible while ensuring sufficient seating space for both left and right occupants. However, the seat configuration described in the above Patent Document 1 does not satisfy such needs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat to be mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle seat including a first seat having a first seat cushion and a first seat back, and a second seat having a second seat cushion and a second seat back and disposed diagonally rearward of the first seat. A rear end of the first seat cushion is located rearward of a front end of the second seat cushion, the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion each have a pair of left and right side ends, an end face of a first side end of the pair of left and right side ends of the first seat cushion that is on one side in the left and right direction that is the second seat side is located on one side in the left and right direction of an end face of a second side end of the pair of left and right side ends of the second seat cushion that is on the other side in the left and right direction that is the first seat side, and at least one of the rear end of the first side end and the front end of the second side end is provided with a relief portion to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the dimension in the left-right direction while ensuring sufficient seating space for left and right seated occupants, thereby making the vehicle compact. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1A] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle on which a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted; [Figure 1B] 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle on which a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the passenger seat in FIG. 1, seen diagonally from the front left. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the small vehicle in a state in which the auxiliary seat in FIG. 1 is stored. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle which is a modified example of FIG. 1A. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1B is a diagram showing another modified example of FIG. 1A. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration related to a sliding operation of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A]1B is a plan view showing an example of a relief portion provided in a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, the relief portion being different from that in FIG. 1A. FIG. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 6A. [Figure 7A] 1 is a side view showing a schematic overall configuration of a swivel seat as a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a position in which the swivel seat is in use. FIG. [Figure 7B] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic overall configuration of a swivel seat as a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a position in which the swivel seat is in use. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7A. [Figure 9A] 7B is a side view showing the non-use position of the swivel seat of FIG. 7A. [Figure 9B] FIG. 7C is a plan view showing the non-use position of the swivel seat of FIG. 7B. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the seat arrangement of a vehicle equipped with a rotating seat. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic overall configuration of a seat with a vibrator as a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 12] Arrow view XII of Figure 11. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12 . [Figure 14] 12A to 12C are diagrams showing an example of the operation of the sheet with a vibrator in FIG. 11. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of operation when a magnetic backing having impact hardening properties is used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1A to 6B. The vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to various vehicles, but the following describes an example in which the vehicle seat is applied to a vehicle, particularly a small vehicle that is required to be compact.

[0009] Fig. 1A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle 10 on which a vehicle seat 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted, and Fig. 1B is a side view. In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined as shown in the figure, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in the figure correspond to the front-rear direction (length direction), left-right direction (width direction), and up-down direction (height direction) of the small vehicle 10, respectively.

[0010] 1A and 1B, the vehicle seat 100 includes a driver's seat 101 disposed on the right side of the vehicle interior, a passenger seat 102 disposed diagonally to the left rear of the driver's seat 101, and an auxiliary seat 103 disposed behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the passenger seat 102 (diagonally to the right rear of the passenger seat 102). Note that Figures 1A and 1B also show, as components of the small vehicle 10, four wheels 11 on the front, rear, left and right sides, and a steering wheel 12 installed facing the driver's seat 101.

[0011] Fig. 2 is a perspective view (viewed diagonally from the front left) showing the configuration of the passenger seat 102. The driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102 have roughly the same configuration. Therefore, the configuration of a single vehicle seat 100 (driver's seat 101 and passenger seat 102) will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle seat 100 includes a seat cushion 110 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 120 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 130 that is provided on the upper part of the seat back 120 and supports the head of the occupant.

[0012] The seat cushion 110 has a seat cushion frame 111 (only a part of which is shown) that forms the framework of the seat cushion 110. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat cushion frame 111 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames extending in the front-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear horizontal frames extending in the left-right direction and connecting the front ends and rear ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has a generally rectangular frame shape in a plan view. A generally plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside the seat cushion frame 111. A cushion pad 112 having elasticity, made of, for example, a urethane foam material, is provided around the seat cushion frame 111, and the surface of the cushion pad 112 is covered with a skin 113.

[0013] The seat back 120 has a seat back frame 121 (only a part of which is shown) that forms the framework of the seat back 120. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat back frame 121 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames extending in a substantially vertical direction, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames extending in the left and right direction and connecting the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has a substantially rectangular frame shape as a whole when viewed from the front. A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside the seat back frame 121. A resilient back pad 122 made of, for example, a urethane foam material is provided around the seat back frame 121, and the surface of the back pad 122 is covered with a skin 123.

[0014] The lower end of the seat back 120 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the seat cushion frame 111 via a reclining mechanism 140 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction about a shaft 141 extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the headrest 130, like the seat back 120, has a headrest frame that forms the framework of the headrest 130, a resilient headrest pad provided around the headrest frame, and a skin that covers the surface of the headrest pad.

[0015] A pair of left and right lower rails 115L extending in the front-rear direction are installed on the upper surface of the floor inside the cabin of the small vehicle 10. A pair of left and right upper rails 115U extending in the front-rear direction are provided on the bottom of the seat cushion frame 111. The upper rails 115U engage with the lower rails 115L, and the seat cushion 110 is slidable in the front-rear direction along the lower rails 115L. The upper rails 115U and the lower rails 115L are engaged with each other via gears at their engagement portions.

[0016] Although detailed illustration is omitted, a slide motor 116 is disposed below the seat cushion 110. The rotation of the motor 116 is transmitted to a screw shaft extending along the lower rail 115L, for example, via a shaft, and a nut moves in the front-rear direction along the screw shaft due to the rotation of the screw shaft, so that the seat cushion 110 can be moved in the front-rear direction together with the nut. An operation unit (e.g., a switch) 117 operated by a seated person is provided on the side of the seat cushion 110. The seated person is also sometimes called a user. The motor 116 is driven in response to a command to move the seat 100 forward or backward inputted via the operation unit 117. The slide motor 116, the screw shaft, etc. may be omitted, and the seat cushion 110 may be moved in the front-rear direction manually by the user.

[0017] The upper surface of the seat cushion 110 is provided with a seating portion 118 on which an occupant sits, and a pair of left and right bank portions 119 that bulge upward from the seating portion 118 on both left and right sides of the seating portion 118 and extend in the front-rear direction. The buttocks and thighs of an occupant seated on the seat 100 come into contact with the seating portion 118, and the weight of the occupant is mainly supported by the seating portion 118. Similarly, the front surface of the seat back 120 is provided with a seating portion 128 on which an occupant sits, and a pair of left and right bank portions 129 that bulge forward from the seating portion 128 on both left and right sides of the seating portion 128 and extend in the up-down direction. The seating position of the occupant is regulated by the bank portions 119, 129.

[0018] 1A and 1B, a front end surface 102a of the passenger seat 102 is located rearward of a front end surface 101a of the driver's seat 101 and forward of a rear end surface 101b of the driver's seat 101. A rear end surface 102b of the passenger seat 102 is located rearward of a front end surface 103a of the auxiliary seat 103. That is, the passenger seat 102 is located rearward of the driver's seat 101 and forward of the auxiliary seat 103. The auxiliary seat 103 is a simple seat and has a seat cushion 110 and a seat back 120, but does not include a headrest 130. The auxiliary seat 103 may be provided with a headrest that can be stored compactly, for example, a teardrop-shaped headrest having a substantially L-shape.

[0019] In FIG. 1A, the length from the left end face SF1 to the right end face SF2 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is defined as the width of the driver's seat 101. The length from the left end face SF3 to the right end face SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 is defined as the width of the passenger seat 102. The length from the left end face SF5 to the right end face SF6 of the seat cushion 110 of the auxiliary seat 103 is defined as the width of the auxiliary seat 103. In this case, the width of the passenger seat 102 is equal to the width of the driver's seat 101, and the width of the auxiliary seat 103 is narrower than the width of the driver's seat 101. Specifically, the width of the auxiliary seat 103 is about 0.8 times the width of the driver's seat 101.

[0020] The left end surface SF5 of the seat cushion 110 of the auxiliary seat 103 is located to the right of the right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102. On the other hand, the left end surface SF1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is located to the left of the right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102. A cutout 114 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view is provided on the right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 110B over a predetermined length rearward from the front end surface 11b. The cutout 114 is provided so as to cut the entire right front corner of the passenger seat 110B (seat cushion frame 111, cushion pad 112, etc.) in the up-down direction. The right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 at the portion where the cutout 114 is provided, i.e., the cutout surface 114a, is located to the left of the left end surface SF1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101. This makes it possible to avoid interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the cutout 114 is provided in the area of ​​the bank portion 119 at the right front corner of the seat cushion 110. Note that in Fig. 2, the shape of the seat cushion 110 without the cutout 114 is shown by a virtual line (two-dot chain line). Since the cutout 114 is provided in the area in front of the bank portion 119, the seating portion 118 does not become narrow, and a sufficient seating space for the occupant of the passenger seat 102 can be secured.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1A, three lower rails 115L are installed at equal intervals in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the floor. The driver's seat 101 is supported slidably along the right-end lower rail 115L and the central lower rail 115L. The passenger's seat 102 is supported slidably along the central lower rail 115L and the left-end lower rail 115L. In other words, the central lower rail 115L is used as the lower rail 115L for both the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102. This makes it possible to reduce the number of lower rails 115L, thereby saving the installation space for the lower rails 115L.

[0023] The driver's seat 101 slides forward of the passenger's seat 102. Therefore, the front ends of the right and central lower rails 115L, 15 are positioned forward of the front end of the left lower rail 115L. The passenger's seat 102 slides rearward of the driver's seat 101. Therefore, the rear ends of the central and left lower rails 115L, 15 are positioned rearward of the rear end of the right lower rail 115L. Therefore, there is no need to install the lower rail 115L to the right of the auxiliary seat 103, and the auxiliary seat 103 can be easily positioned without interfering with the lower rail 115L.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a recess 135 having a predetermined depth and a generally rectangular shape in plan view with an open top is provided in the floor behind the auxiliary seat 103. The auxiliary seat 103 can be folded in its entirety by tilting its seat back 120 forward until it abuts on the upper surface of the seat cushion 110, and the entire seat in the folded state can be moved diagonally toward the space behind and below (recess 135). Alternatively, the entire seat in the folded state can be rotated backward toward the recess 135. The recess 135 has a generally box shape corresponding to the shape of the auxiliary seat 103 in the folded state. This allows the auxiliary seat 103 to be stored below the floor.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the compact vehicle 10 with the auxiliary seat 103 stored in the recess 135. As shown in Fig. 3, when the auxiliary seat 103 is stored under the floor, a relatively large, approximately box-shaped space is formed behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the passenger seat 102 above the upper surface of the floor. This allows large luggage and the like to be easily loaded into the compact vehicle 10.

[0026] The small vehicle 10 having the vehicle seat 100 according to this embodiment is used for traveling relatively short distances such as commuting to work or shopping. During this type of travel, there are many opportunities for the passenger to ride alone in the small vehicle 10 and the passenger does not carry much luggage. For this reason, it is required to reduce the size of the entire vehicle rather than to expand the space inside the vehicle. In this respect, in this embodiment, the passenger seat 102 is disposed diagonally behind the driver's seat 101 and the right end (right end surface SF4) of the passenger seat 102 is positioned to the right of the left end (left end surface SF1) of the driver's seat 101, so that the vehicle width of the small vehicle 10 can be narrowed. As a result, the space inside the vehicle can be kept to a minimum, and a convenient small vehicle 10 that is easy to use for a passenger who often rides alone can be obtained.

[0027] A notch 114 is provided at the right end of the passenger seat 102 of the compact vehicle 10 to prevent interference with the driver's seat 101. Since the notch 114 is provided only at the right front corner of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102, it places little restriction on the passenger space of the passenger seat 102. Therefore, although it is not frequent, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the comfort of the passenger when he or she sits on the passenger seat 102.

[0028] Using the auxiliary seat 103, three people can ride in the compact vehicle 10. The auxiliary seat 103 is constructed more simply and compactly than the other seats 101, 102, but this is not a problem because the auxiliary seat 103 is used less frequently than the passenger seat 102 and the compact vehicle 10 is often used for short-distance travel. Since the auxiliary seat 103 can be stored under the floor, when one or two people ride in the compact vehicle 10, the auxiliary seat 103 can be stored to easily transport large luggage.

[0029] In the above, the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 is provided with the cutout 114. Alternatively or additionally, the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 may be provided with a cutout. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle 10 as an example. As shown in FIG. 4A, the left end surface SF1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is provided with the cutout 114 having a generally rectangular shape in plan view from the rear end surface to the front. That is, the cutout 114 is provided in the left rear corner of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101. This makes it possible to prevent interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102.

[0030] In this embodiment, the driving of motors 116 (FIG. 2) provided on the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 is controlled in response to the operation of an operation unit 117 (FIG. 2) provided on the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102, respectively, thereby causing each seat 101, 102 to slide in the front-rear direction. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control configuration related to the sliding operation of the vehicle seat 100. In FIG. 5, the operation units 117 for the driver's seat and the passenger's seat are indicated by reference numerals 117A and 117B, respectively, and the motors 116 for the driver's seat and the passenger's seat are indicated by reference numerals 116A and 116B, respectively.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 5, signals from operation units 117A, 117B and signals from position sensors 151A, 151B that detect the slide positions of driver's seat 101 and passenger seat 102, respectively, are input to ECU 150 (controller) composed of a microprocessor, memory, etc. Position sensors 151A, 151B are composed of, for example, linear encoders. Operation units 117A, 117B are, for example, push-type switches, and when operation units 117A, 117B are pushed, a forward command or a reverse command for seats 101, 102 is output, and when the pushing operation stops, the output of the forward command or the reverse command stops.

[0032] When a forward or reverse command for the driver's seat 101 is output by the operation unit 117A, the ECU 150 outputs a control signal to the motor 116A to move the driver's seat 101 forward or backward. Furthermore, when a forward or reverse command for the passenger's seat 102 is output by the operation unit 117B, the ECU 150 outputs a control signal to the motor 116B to move the passenger's seat 102 forward or backward. At this time, the ECU 150 detects the positions of the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 based on signals from the position sensors 151A and 151B, and limits the driving of the motors 116A and 116B according to the detected positions.

[0033] Specifically, when a forward command for the driver's seat 101 is output, the ECU 150 determines whether the driver's seat 110A is in a predetermined forward end position, and if it is determined that the driver's seat 110A is in the forward end position, the ECU 150 stops the forward movement of the driver's seat 101. Similarly, when a reverse command for the passenger's seat 102 is output, the ECU 150 determines whether the passenger's seat 102 is in a predetermined reverse position, and if it is determined that the passenger's seat 102 is in the reverse position, the ECU 150 stops the reverse movement of the passenger's seat 102. Furthermore, when a reverse command for the driver's seat 101 or a forward command for the passenger's seat 102 is output, the ECU 150 calculates the distance between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102, more specifically, the distance (seat-to-seat distance) between the rear end surface 101b of the driver's seat 101 and the end surface 114b (FIG. 1A) of the cutout 114 of the passenger's seat 102. Then, it is determined whether the distance between the seats is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, and if it is determined that the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the reverse movement of the driver's seat 101 or the forward movement of the passenger's seat 102 is stopped. This makes it possible to prevent interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102.

[0034] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The vehicle seat 100 includes a driver's seat 101 having a seat cushion 110 and a seat back 120, and a passenger seat 102 having the seat cushion 110 and the seat back 120 and disposed diagonally rearward to the left of the driver's seat 101 (FIGS. 1A and 2). A rear end surface 12a of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is positioned rearward of a front end surface 11b of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 (FIG. 1B). The seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 and the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 each have a pair of left and right side end surfaces, that is, a left end surface SF1, a right end surface SF2, and a left end surface SF3, a right end surface SF4 (FIG. 2). The left end surface SF1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is positioned leftward of a right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 (FIG. 1A). A right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 is provided with a notch 114 to prevent interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102 (FIGS. 1A and 2).

[0035] According to this configuration, the left rear corner of the driver's seat 101 is positioned within the right front cutout 114 of the passenger seat 102, so that it is possible to shorten the length from the right end surface SF2 of the driver's seat 101 to the left end surface SF3 of the passenger seat 102. This makes it possible to configure a compact vehicle 10 that has a short dimension in the left-right direction while ensuring sufficient seating space for seated persons on both sides.

[0036] (2) An auxiliary seat 103 is further provided behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the right end surface SF4 of the passenger seat 102 (FIG. 1A). This allows three people to ride in the small vehicle 10.

[0037] (3) The width of the auxiliary seat 103 in the left-right direction is narrower than the width of the driver's seat 101 in the left-right direction (FIG. 1A). By narrowing the width of the auxiliary seat 103, which is used less frequently, the auxiliary seat 103 can be properly positioned so as not to interfere with the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102.

[0038] (4) The floor of the compact vehicle 10 on which the auxiliary seat 103 is installed is provided with a recess 135 in which the auxiliary seat 103 is stored when not in use (FIGS. 1A and 1B). This allows the auxiliary seat 103 to be stored under the floor, forming a large space behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the passenger seat 102.

[0039] (5) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a pair of left and right lower rails 115L that are provided on the upper surface of the floor of the small vehicle 10 to extend in the front-rear direction and support the driver's seat 101 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and a pair of left and right lower rails 115L that are provided on the upper surface of the floor to extend in the front-rear direction and support the passenger seat 102 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction (FIGS. 1A and 2). The left lower rail 115L for the driver's seat and the right lower rail 115L for the passenger seat are the same, and the lower rail 115L is shared (FIG. 1A). This allows the number of lower rails 115L to be reduced, the width of the small vehicle 10 in the left-right direction to be narrowed, and costs to be reduced.

[0040] In the above embodiment (FIG. 1A), the driver's seat 101 is configured as a first seat having a seat cushion 110 (first seat cushion) and a seat back 120 (first seat back), and the passenger's seat 102 is configured as a second seat having a seat cushion 110 (second seat cushion) and a seat back 120 (second seat back), but the first seat may be other than the driver's seat, and the second seat may be other than the passenger's seat. The second seat may be disposed diagonally rearward to the right instead of diagonally rearward to the left of the first seat.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 are slid in the front-rear direction by driving the motor 116, but the motor 116 may be omitted and the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 may be moved forward and backward manually. In this case, a stopper that limits the movement of the driver's seat 101 rearward from a predetermined position (e.g., the position in FIG. 1A) and a stopper that limits the movement of the passenger's seat 102 forward from a predetermined position (e.g., the position in FIG. 1A) may be provided on the lower rail 115L or the like, thereby preventing interference between the seats 101 and 102 when the driver's seat 101 is moved backward and the passenger's seat 102 is moved forward.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the notch 114 is provided in the front end portion (FIG. 1A) of the right end surface SF4 (second side end portion) of the passenger seat 102 or the rear end portion (FIG. 4A) of the left end surface SF1 (first side end portion) of the driver's seat 101, but other relief portions may be provided to prevent interference between the first side end portion and the second side end portion. FIG. 6A is a plan view showing another example of the relief portion, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6A shows a left rear corner portion CR1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 and a right front corner portion CR2 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a substantially rectangular recess 1141 having a predetermined depth is provided on the bottom surface of the left rear corner CR1 of the driver's seat 101. Meanwhile, a substantially rectangular recess 1142 having a predetermined depth is provided on the top surface of the right front corner CR2 of the passenger seat 102. As a result, the lower corner CR2 of the recess 1142 of the passenger seat 102 is disposed in the recess 1141 of the driver's seat 101, and the upper corner CR1 of the recess 1141 of the driver's seat 101 is disposed in the recess 1142 of the passenger seat 102. As a result, interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102 can be prevented without providing the notches 114 in the corners CR1 and CR2. The recess 1141 may be provided on the top surface of the corner CR1 and the recess 1142 may be provided on the bottom surface of the corner CR2, so that the top-bottom relationship of the corners CR1 and CR2 is reversed. Instead of providing recesses 1141, 1142 of a predetermined depth at the corners CR1, CR2 of the seats 101, 102, the seats 101, 102 may be positioned so that the left end (first side end) of the driver's seat 101 is positioned above or below the right end (second side end) of the passenger seat 102, thereby forming a relief portion.

[0044] In the above embodiment (FIG. 1A), the auxiliary seat 103 is disposed as the third seat behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the passenger seat 102, but the configuration of the third seat is not limited to that described above. The third seat may be a net seat in which an elastic net material is stretched over the seat surface and the cushion pad 112 and the back pad 122 are omitted. In the above embodiment (FIG. 3), the auxiliary seat 103 can be stored in the recess 135 in the floor, but the recessed storage portion does not have to be provided. The third seat may be a flip-up type seat that is flipped up to the right and stored, for example.

[0045] In the above embodiment (FIG. 1A), the driver's seat 101 is slidably supported by a pair of left and right lower rails 115L (rails for the first seat) provided at the right end and center of the small vehicle 10, and the passenger's seat 102 is slidably supported by a pair of left and right lower rails 115L (rails for the second seat) provided at the left end and center. That is, a part (left lower rail 115L) of the multiple lower rails 115L supporting the driver's seat 101 and a part (right lower rail 115L) of the multiple lower rails 115L supporting the passenger's seat 102 are shared, but the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 may be supported by separate rails. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, which is another modified example of FIG. 1A, the pair of left and right lower rails 115L supporting the driver's seat 101 and the pair of left and right lower rails 115L supporting the passenger's seat 102 may be provided separately. In Fig. 4B, instead of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102, a notch 114 may be provided in the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 as shown in Fig. 4A. Each of the seats 101, 102 may be supported by three or more rails.

[0046] In the above, the vehicle seat 100 is configured to include the driver's seat 101 (first seat) and the passenger seat 102 (second seat), but the present invention can also be configured as a small vehicle including the first seat and the second seat. Therefore, the configuration can be rewritten from the vehicle seat to a small vehicle.

[0047] Incidentally, when comparing a vehicle seat when in use, when an occupant is seated, with a vehicle seat when not in use, in order to expand the effective space in the vehicle cabin, it is preferable to narrow the vehicle seat when not in use compared to when in use. If the vehicle seat is configured to be rotatable as a whole about an axis extending in the vertical direction after narrowing the width of the vehicle seat, the orientation of the vehicle seat can be easily changed without interfering with other members around the seat or other occupants, which is even more preferable. In consideration of this point, in this embodiment, the vehicle seat is further configured as follows. In the following, the vehicle seat may be referred to as a swivel seat.

[0048] Fig. 7A is a side view that shows a schematic overall configuration of the rotating seat 200, and Fig. 7B is a plan view. The rotating seat 200 is mounted on a vehicle (not shown). The vehicle may be the above-mentioned small vehicle 10, or may be a vehicle other than a small vehicle. The rotating seat 200 can also be mounted on a vehicle other than a vehicle. Figs. 7A and 7B show a usage posture of the rotating seat 200 in which an occupant can be seated.

[0049] 7A and 7B, the swivel seat 200 has a seat cushion 210 that supports the buttocks of the occupant PS, a seat back 220 that supports the back of the occupant PS, and a support frame 230 that supports the seat cushion 210 and the seat back 220. The support frame 230 is supported by a base member 250 that is substantially rectangular in plan view and has a plate shape, via a rotation device 240. A pair of left and right upper rails 251 are provided on the bottom of the base member 250. The upper rails 2501 are slidably engaged with a pair of left and right lower rails 260 that are installed on the upper surface of the floor of the vehicle and extend in the front-rear direction.

[0050] The rotation device 240 has an outer cylinder part 241 having a substantially cylindrical shape centered on an axis line CL1 extending in the vertical direction and fixed to the upper surface of the base member 250, and an inner cylinder part 242 having a substantially cylindrical shape centered on the axis line CL1 and disposed inside the outer cylinder part 241. The inner cylinder part 242 is supported by the outer cylinder part 241 so as to be rotatable about the axis line CL1.

[0051] The support frame 230 has a rod- or pipe-shaped horizontal frame 231 that passes through the center (axis line CL1) of the rotation device 240 and extends in the front-rear direction, and a rod- or pipe-shaped vertical frame 232 that rises from the rear end of the horizontal frame 231. Therefore, the support frame 230 as a whole has a generally L-shape in side view. The horizontal frame 231 is fixed to an inner cylinder portion 242 of the rotation device 240 and rotates integrally with the inner cylinder portion 242. Both front-rear end portions of the horizontal frame 231 are located further inward in the front-rear direction than both front-rear end portions of the base member 250 in the front-rear direction.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 7B, the seat back 220 has a generally pipe-shaped central frame 221 extending vertically in the left-right central portion, and a pair of left and right split seat backs 222 arranged on both the left and right sides of the central frame 221. The split seat back 222 has a rotating frame 220a forming the framework of the split seat back 222. An inner end of the rotating frame 220a in the left-right direction is supported rotatably by the central frame 221. A back pad 220b is provided around the rotating frame 220a, and the surface of the back pad 220b is covered with a skin 220c.

[0053] 7B shows a state in which the split seat backs 222 have been rotated to the maximum extent outward (rearward) in the left-right direction with the central frame 221 as a fulcrum. The rear surfaces 226 of the left and right split seat backs 222 are formed in a substantially arc shape in a plan view so that when the split seat backs 222 are rotated inward in the left-right direction from the state of FIG. 7B, they become substantially semicircular as a whole (see FIG. 9B). In the state of FIG. 7B, the seating surface 224 on the front side of the seat back 220 extends substantially linearly in the left-right direction. At this time, the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 protrudes rearward beyond the central frame 221. A bank portion 225 is provided at the outer end portion in the left-right direction of the seat back 220.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 7A, the lower end of the central frame 221 of the seat back 220 is supported on the upper end of the support frame 230 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a rotation shaft 235 extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. Fig. 7A shows a reclining position in which the seat back 220 is tilted backward by a predetermined tilt angle θ. Meanwhile, Fig. 7B shows a state in which the tilt angle θ is 0°. When the tilt angle θ is 0°, the seating surface 224 extends along a vertical plane.

[0055] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7A. As shown in Fig. 8, the seat cushion 210 has a seat cushion frame 210a that forms the framework of the seat cushion 210. A cushion pad 210b is provided around the seat cushion frame 210a, and the surface of the cushion pad 210b is covered with a skin 210c. A substantially horizontal seating surface 214 is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 210. A bank portion 215 is provided on the outer end portions of the seat cushion 210 in the left-right direction. A bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 has a substantially semicircular shape and protrudes downward.

[0056] 7A and 8, the left-right central portion of the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 is mounted on the upper surface of a horizontal frame 231. The seat cushion 210 has a pair of left and right support pillars 217 extending upward from its rear end. The front end portion of a vertical frame 232 is interposed between the left and right support pillars 217. The upper end portion of the support pillar 217 is supported on the upper end portion of the vertical frame 232 so as to be rotatable in the up-down direction with a rotation shaft 236 extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum.

[0057] The swivel seat 200 is capable of changing its position from a use position (FIGS. 7A and 7B) in which an occupant can sit to a non-use position in which an occupant cannot sit. As shown in FIG. 7B, in the use position, both left and right ends of the seat back 220 protrude outward in the left and right direction beyond both left and right ends of the base member 250. This allows the left and right width of the seating surface 224 of the seat back 220 to be increased. Meanwhile, both left and right ends of the seat cushion 210 are located laterally inward in the left and right direction beyond both left and right ends of the base member 250.

[0058] FIG. 9A is a side view of the swivel seat 200 in the non-use position, and FIG. 9B is a plan view. As shown in FIG. 9A, in the non-use position, the tilt angle θ (FIG. 7B) of the seat back 220 is 0°, and the rear end surface of the central frame 221 is located on the extension line of the rear end surface of the vertical frame 232. In addition, in the non-use position, the seat cushion 210 is rotated upward by 90° around the rotation shaft 236 as a fulcrum, and the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 extends in the vertical direction. The seat back 220 is always biased to the non-use position by, for example, the biasing force of a spring. Furthermore, the seat back 220 has a locking mechanism that holds the seat back 220 in the use position against the biasing force of the spring. Therefore, when the locking mechanism is released in the use position, the seat back 220 is biased to the non-use position by the biasing force of the spring.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 9B, in the non-use position, the pair of left and right split seat backs 222 are rotated inward in the left-right direction, and the right end surface 222c of the left split seat back 222 and the left end surface 222c of the right split seat back 222 abut against each other. This limits the maximum rotation amount of the split seat backs 222. When the split seat backs 222 are rotated inward in the left-right direction to the maximum extent, the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 has a substantially semicircular shape centered on the axis line CL1. The bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 also has a substantially semicircular shape with the axis line CL1 as its shape.

[0060] At this time, the front end surface of the bank portion 225 of the seat back 220 and the rear end surface of the bank portion 215 of the seat cushion 210 come into contact with each other. As a result, the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 and the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 as a whole form a substantially cylindrical shape centered on the axis line CL1 in a plan view. The diameter of the cylindrical surface centered on the axis line CL1 is substantially equal to the length of the horizontal frame 231 in the front-rear direction, and the entire cylindrical surface is located inside both left-right and front-rear direction ends of the base member 250. Therefore, the entire seat cushion 210 and the seat back 220 can be efficiently arranged in the inner space of a predetermined cylindrical surface centered on the axis line CL1.

[0061] The rotation of the swivel seat 200 is prevented by a lock mechanism (not shown). This allows the swivel seat 200 to be fixed in the use position shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. When the orientation of the swivel seat 200 is rotated, for example, by 180° from the use position via the rotation device 240, the user (passenger) first releases the lock mechanism. Then, the seat back 220 is rotated forward around the rotation shaft 235 as a fulcrum, and the seat back 220 is raised with the tilt angle θ set to 0°, and the pair of left and right split seat backs 222 are rotated inward in the left-right direction via the central frame 221. Furthermore, the user rotates the seat cushion 210 upward around the rotation shaft 236 as a fulcrum, and the seat cushion 210 is raised.

[0062] In this state, the user rotates the rotating seat 200 by 180° via the rotating device 240 to activate the lock mechanism. The entire seat cushion 210 and the seat back 220 of the rotating seat 200 are disposed inside a cylindrical surface of a predetermined radius centered on the axis line CL1. Therefore, the amount of protrusion of the rotating seat 200 toward the outside in the radial direction is small, and the user can easily rotate the rotating seat 200 without interfering with surrounding members or passengers. The space required for the rotation of the rotating seat 200 is determined by the distance from the axis line CL1 to the outermost part in the radial direction. In this respect, in this embodiment, the outermost part in the radial direction (the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210, the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220) is located on a cylindrical surface centered on the axis line CL1, so that the distance from the axis line CL1 to the outermost part in the radial direction can be shortened. After rotating the rotating seat 200, the user rotates the left and right divided seat backs 222 outward in the left and right direction and lowers the seat cushion 210. This allows the swivel seat 200 to be placed in a usage position facing backward.

[0063] Activation and release of the lock mechanism, rotation of the seat cushion 210 about the rotation shaft 236, rotation of the seat back 220 about the rotation shaft 235, rotation of the split seat back 222 with the central frame 221 as a fulcrum, and rotation of the swivel seat 200 about the axis CL1 can each be performed manually. Any one, more than one, or all of these operations may be performed by driving an actuator such as a motor. For example, the actuator may be driven in response to a switch operation by the user.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The rotating seat 200 as a vehicle seat can be transformed from a use position where an occupant can sit to a non-use position where an occupant cannot sit (FIGS. 7A and 9A). The seat back 220 is configured so that the width of the seat back 220 in the non-use position is narrower than the width of the seat back 220 in the use position (FIGS. 7B and 9B). This can increase the available space in the vehicle cabin when the rotating seat 200 is not in use.

[0065] (2) The seat cushion 210 is further provided with a rotation device 240 that rotatably supports the seat cushion 210 about an axis CL1 that extends vertically (FIG. 7A). This makes it possible to easily change the orientation of the swivel seat 200 even when the width of the seat back 220 is narrowed.

[0066] (3) The swivel seat 200 further includes a support frame 230 that rotatably supports the seat cushion 210 so that the seat cushion 210 stands up in the non-use position (FIGS. 7A and 9A). The seat cushion 210 and the seat back 220 each have a seating surface 214, 224 on which an occupant sits, and a back surface (bottom surface 216 and rear surface 226) on the opposite side of the seating surface 214, 224 (FIGS. 7B and 8). In the non-use position, the distance from the axis CL1 to the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 and the distance to the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 are substantially equal (FIG. 9B). This allows the diameter of the swivel seat 200 about the axis CL1 in the non-use position to be small, and the swivel seat 200 can be rotated in a narrow space.

[0067] (4) The rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 and the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 are configured to have a generally arcuate shape so as to extend along a cylindrical surface centered on the axis line CL1 in the non-use position (FIG. 9B). This makes it possible to minimize the diameter of the swivel seat 200 centered on the axis line CL1 in the non-use position, and to minimize the space required for rotation of the swivel seat 200.

[0068] (5) The seat back 220 has a central frame 221 extending substantially in the vertical direction, and a pair of split seat backs 222 arranged in the width direction and rotatable inward in the width direction around the central frame 221 (FIG. 9B). This allows the width of the seat back 220 to be easily narrowed when the swivel seat 200 is not in use.

[0069] (6) The support frame 230 has a vertical frame 232 extending in the up-down direction near the rear end of the seat cushion 210, and a rotating shaft 236 provided at the upper end of the vertical frame 232 (FIGS. 7A and 9A). The seat cushion 210 is supported so as to be rotatable in the up-down direction via the rotating shaft 236 (FIGS. 7A and 9A). This allows the seat cushion 210 to stand upright, and the distance from the axis CL1 to the end of the seat cushion 210 can be shortened.

[0070] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 7A to 9B), the seat back 220 is configured by the central frame 221 (rotating shaft) and a pair of left and right split seat backs 222 (back rotating parts), but the configuration of the seat back 220 is not limited to the above. That is, the seat back 220 may have any configuration as long as the width of the seat back 220 in the non-use position is narrower than the width of the seat back 220 in the use position. In the above embodiment, both left and right end portions of the seat back 220 are provided to be rotatable in the left and right direction, but both left and right end portions of the seat cushion 210 may be similarly provided to be rotatable in the left and right direction. In this case, for example, when the seat cushion 210 is rotated outward in the left and right direction, the seating surface 214 of the seat cushion 210 is made to be approximately horizontal, and when the seat cushion 210 is rotated inward in the left and right direction, the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 is made to be approximately arc-shaped (FIG. 8).

[0071] In the above embodiment (FIG. 7A), the seat cushion 210 is rotatably supported by the support frame 230 as the seat cushion support part. Specifically, the seat cushion 210 is supported rotatably in the vertical direction via the horizontally extending rotation shaft 236 (horizontal shaft) at the upper end of the vertical frame 232 (vertical part) extending in the vertical direction near the rear end of the seat cushion 210, but the seat cushion support part may have any configuration as long as it rotatably supports the seat cushion so that the seat cushion 210 stands up in the non-use position. In the above embodiment (FIG. 7B), the horizontal frame 231 is configured to be elongated in the front-rear direction, but the horizontal frame may be expanded in the left-right direction, and a seat belt attachment part may be provided at the left-right end of the horizontal frame.

[0072] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 9A and 9B), in the non-use posture, the distance from the axis CL1 to the bottom surface 216 (back surface) on the opposite side of the seating surface 214 of the seat cushion 210 is equal to the distance to the rear surface 226 (back surface) on the opposite side of the seating surface 224 of the seat back 220. More specifically, the back surface of the seat cushion 210 and the back surface of the seat back 220 are arranged to extend along a cylindrical surface centered on the axis CL1, but the distance from the axis CL1 to the back surface of the seat cushion 210 and the distance to the back surface of the seat back 220 may be different.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the rotating seat 200 is rotated 180° around the axis CL1, but the rotation angle of the rotating seat 200 is not limited to 180°, and may be 90°, 270°, or another angle. The above-mentioned rotating seat 200 can be used not only in the small vehicle 20 of FIG. 1A but also in various vehicles or vehicles other than vehicles. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a vehicle 20 on which the rotating seat 200 is mounted. The vehicle 20 of FIG. 10 has three rows of seats in the front-rear direction. The rotating seat 200 is applied to, for example, the second row seats, and normal seats 100 (non-rotating seats) are arranged in the first and third rows. This allows the passengers of the second row seats and the third row seats to sit facing each other.

[0074] Not only when changing the orientation of the swivel seat 200, but also when loading luggage into the vehicle interior, the swivel seat 200 may be changed from the use position to the non-use position. This increases the space for loading luggage in the vehicle interior, making it easier to load luggage. When an occupant gets into the vehicle to sit in the seat behind the swivel seat 200 (the third row seat 100 in FIG. 10), the swivel seat 200 may be changed from the use position to the non-use position. This makes it easier for an occupant to get into the rear seat. In the non-use position, if necessary, only the seat back 220 may be rotated inward without rotating the seat cushion 210 of the swivel seat 200 upward.

[0075] The vehicle seat according to this embodiment can be configured to have a function of notifying information without using voice or the like. Specifically, the vehicle seat can be configured to notify predetermined information to an occupant by applying vibrations to the occupant via the seat. If information is notified by voice or the like, there is a risk that communication with the passenger may be interrupted if there is a passenger in the vehicle. In this regard, by notifying information by applying vibrations, the occupant (e.g., the driver) can recognize the predetermined information without interrupting communication with the passenger.

[0076] Examples of the predetermined information include approach information indicating that the approach of another vehicle has been detected while driving, erroneous operation information indicating that the driver has performed an erroneous operation while driving, a charging completion notification indicating that charging of the battery in the EV driving mode has been completed, and attention alert information for alerting the driver when driving through an intersection or a crosswalk. The vibration may be given to the driver for purposes other than notifying the driver of information, such as waking the driver up from drowsiness, or the vibration may be given to passengers other than the driver. Below, a vehicle seat configured to give vibration to passengers will be described.

[0077] The vehicle seat has a vibrator. Such a vehicle seat may be referred to as a seat with a vibrator below. The seat with a vibrator can be mounted on a vehicle or a vehicle other than a vehicle. An example of mounting the seat with a vibrator on a vehicle will be described below. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a seat with a vibrator 300 as a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the seat with a vibrator 300 includes a seat cushion 310 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 320 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 330 that is provided on the upper part of the seat back 320 and supports the head of the occupant.

[0078] The seat 300 with a vibrator has the same configuration as the vehicle seat 100 shown in Fig. 2. That is, the seat cushion 310 has a seat cushion frame 311 (only a part of which is shown) that forms the framework of the seat cushion 310, a cushion pad 312 provided around the seat cushion frame 311, and a skin 313 that covers the surface of the cushion pad 312. The seat back 320 has a seat back frame 321 (only a part of which is shown) that forms the framework of the seat back 320, a back pad 322 provided around the seat back frame 321, and a skin 323 that covers the surface of the back pad 322. Similarly, the head rest 330 has a head rest frame that forms the framework of the head rest 330, a resilient head rest pad provided around the head rest frame, and a skin that covers the surface of the head rest pad.

[0079] The seat back 320 is provided with a plurality of vibration units 350 having vibrators. Specifically, a pair of left and right vibration units 350 is provided above and below the seating portion 328, which is inside the left and right bank portions 329 of the seat back 320. The pair of left and right vibration units 350 on the upper side are disposed laterally outward of the pair of left and right vibration units 350 on the lower side. The vibration units 350 are provided, for example, in correspondence with the position of the latissimus dorsi of the occupant. As long as the vibration units 350 are provided at positions where the seated person can easily feel vibration, the number and installation positions of the vibration units 350 are not limited to those shown in the figure. Instead of or in addition to the seat back 320, the vibration units 350 may be provided on the seat cushion 310.

[0080] FIG. 12 is a front view (arrow XII view in FIG. 11) of the part where the vibration unit 350 is provided in the seating part 328 of the seat back 320, as seen from the front, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12. In FIG. 12, for convenience, a part of the skin 323 is cut into an approximately circular shape (area AR10). As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a recess 324 having a predetermined depth and a substantially rectangular shape in front view is provided on the front surface of the back pad 322, and a recess 325 having a predetermined depth and a substantially rectangular shape in front view is further provided at the back of the recess 324. That is, the front surface of the back pad 322 has recesses 324 and 325 with a stepped shape. The recess 325 is provided inside the recess 324, and a bottom surface 324a of the recess 324 extending vertically is formed around the entire circumference of the recess 325.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 13, a vibration unit 350 is disposed in the recess 325. The vibration unit 350 has a vibration unit case 351 (shown by a thick line for convenience) formed in a substantially box-like shape corresponding to the shape of the recess 325, and a vibration actuator 352 and a vibrator 353 disposed inside the vibration unit case 351. The vibrator 353 is fixed to the front surface of the vibration actuator 352. The vibration actuator 352 is a linear vibration actuator, and upon receiving an electric signal, causes the vibrator 353 to reciprocate up and down (in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 13).

[0082] A pair of upper and lower permanent magnets 356 are fixed to the front surface of the vibrator 353. The front and rear surfaces of the permanent magnet 356 are, for example, an N pole and an S pole. The front surface of the permanent magnet 356 is disposed with a gap from the opposing vibration unit case 351 so that the permanent magnet 356 can move smoothly inside the vibration unit case 351. The front surface of the vibration unit case 351 may be left open.

[0083] 12 and 13 show a state before the vibrator 353 vibrates, and at this time, the vibrator 353 is located at a middle position in the up-down direction. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a lid pad 326, which is a part of the back pad 322, is placed in the recess 324. The lid pad 326 has a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is made of the same material as the back pad 322 (e.g., urethane foam material). The overall thickness (length in the front-rear direction) of the lid pad 326 is the same as the depth of the recess 324, and the lid pad 326 is interposed between the skin 323 and the bottom surface 324a of the recess of the back pad 324.

[0084] The lid pad 326 is foam-molded integrally with a magnetic mount 357 to which a pair of upper and lower permanent magnets 327 are fixed. The magnetic mount 357 is made of a material that hardens reversibly upon impact, specifically, a sheet-like material having impact hardening properties in which molecules bond with each other and harden when an impact is received, and the hardened state returns to its original state when the impact is removed.

[0085] The permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side and the permanent magnet 327 on the skin side have substantially the same shape in a plan view. The permanent magnet 327 on the skin side is disposed at the same position in the front-rear and left-right directions as the permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side, and a predetermined distance (e.g., about 10 mm) forward from the permanent magnet 356, at the intermediate position in Figs. 12 and 13. The front and rear surfaces of the permanent magnet 327 on the skin side are, for example, N and S poles corresponding to the permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side. The magnetic force between the permanent magnets 356 and 327 is strongest when the vibrator 353 is located at the intermediate position, and the magnetic force decreases as the vibrator 353 moves up and down from the intermediate position.

[0086] 13, an ECU 370 having a microcomputer and a memory is connected to the vibration actuator 352. Signals are input to the ECU 370 from various sensors 371 (camera, radar, lidar, etc.) that detect or sense, for example, the situation around the vehicle and the situation inside the vehicle cabin. The ECU 370 determines whether or not it is necessary to notify a passenger (for example, the driver) of predetermined information (for example, the approach of another vehicle) based on the signal from the sensor 371. Then, when it is determined that it is necessary to notify the passenger of the predetermined information, the ECU 370 outputs a control signal to the vibration actuator 352 to vibrate the vibrator 353.

[0087] ECU 370 outputs a control signal to vibration actuator 352 to vibrate vibrator 353 until it is determined that it is not necessary to notify the predetermined information (for example, until it is determined that the driver recognizes the approach of another vehicle). When it is determined that it is not necessary to notify the predetermined information, ECU 370 stops the vibration of vibrator 353. Note that, when it is determined that it is necessary to notify the predetermined information, ECU 370 may vibrate vibrator 353 for only a predetermined time.

[0088] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the sheet 300 with a vibrator. As shown in FIG. 14, when the vibrator 353 is located at the intermediate position, the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side is attracted by the permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side. As a result, the magnet mount 357 and the lid pad 326 are elastically deformed, and the permanent magnet 327 moves backward. When the vibrator 353 is lowered from this state by the driving of the vibration actuator 352, a downward attraction force due to magnetic force acts on the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side. This attraction force becomes smaller as the distance between the permanent magnets 356 and 327 increases. As a result, at the lowered position where the vibrator 353 is at the lowest, the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side moves forward more than when the vibrator 353 is located at the intermediate position due to the elastic force of the magnet mount 357 and the lid pad 326 trying to return to their original positions.

[0089] On the other hand, when the vibrator 353 rises from the lowered position to the neutral position, the attractive force acting on the skin-side permanent magnet 327 gradually increases as the distance between the permanent magnets 356 and 327 decreases. Then, when the vibrator 353 rises to the neutral position, the attractive force reaches a maximum, and the skin-side permanent magnet 327 moves backward. When the vibrator 353 further rises from the neutral position, an upward attractive force due to magnetic force acts on the skin-side permanent magnet 327. This attractive force decreases as the distance between the permanent magnets 356 and 327 increases. As a result, at the raised position where the vibrator 353 has risen to its maximum, the skin-side permanent magnet 327 moves further forward than when the vibrator 353 is in the neutral position.

[0090] In this way, the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side reciprocates in the front-rear direction in accordance with the up-down movement of the vibrator 353. As a result, vibration is given to the occupant via the magnet mount 357 and the surface 323. If the permanent magnet 327 is placed on the surface of the seat, the occupant feels a strange sensation as if there is a foreign object on the surface of the seat, but if the permanent magnet 327 is placed on the back side of the surface 323, the occupant is less likely to feel the strange sensation. Also, if the permanent magnet 327 is placed further back than the back side of the surface 323, the occupant is less likely to feel the vibration, but since the permanent magnet 327 is fixed to the magnet mount 357 on the back side of the surface 323, the occupant is more likely to feel the vibration, and information can be transmitted to the occupant satisfactorily.

[0091] The magnet mount 357 is made of a material having shock hardening properties. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, when the vibrator 353 is located in the neutral position, the region of elastic deformation of the magnet mount 357 increases. In other words, when the magnet mount 357 is made of a material not having shock hardening properties, the magnet mount 357 deforms locally as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 15, whereas when the magnet mount 357 is made of a material having shock hardening properties, the range of deformation of the magnet mount 357 is large as shown by the solid line in FIG. 15. In other words, the deformation region AR11 (solid line) when the magnet mount 357 is made of a material having shock hardening properties is larger than the deformation region AR12 (dotted line) when the magnet mount 357 is made of a material not having shock hardening properties. As a result, the passenger is more likely to feel the vibration.

[0092] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) Seat 300 with a vibrator as a vehicle seat includes vibration actuator 352 that drives vibrator 353 built into seat back 320, skin 323 that constitutes the seating surface on which a user sits, permanent magnet 327 arranged on the back side of skin 323, and permanent magnet 356 that is attached to the surface of vibrator 353 and vibrates when vibrated by vibration actuator 352 (FIGS. 11 to 13). Permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side is arranged within a range where it interacts with permanent magnet 327 on the skin side (FIG. 14).

[0093] This allows the passengers to recognize certain information through the vibrations without interrupting communication between the passengers. In addition, since the permanent magnet 327 is placed on the back side of the skin, not on the surface, the passengers can reliably feel the vibrations without feeling any discomfort due to the presence of a foreign object.

[0094] (2) The vibrator-equipped sheet 300 further includes a back pad 322 provided on the back side of the skin 323 (FIG. 11). The back pad 322 has a recess 325 recessed from the surface of the back pad 322 facing the skin 323, and a lid pad 326 covering the recess 325 (FIG. 13). The vibration actuator 352 and a permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side are disposed in the recess 325, and a permanent magnet 327 on the skin side is disposed on the lid pad 326 (FIG. 13). This allows the permanent magnet 356 to easily reciprocate up and down within the recess 325, and allows the permanent magnet 327 on the skin side to vibrate well in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the permanent magnet 356.

[0095] (3) The cover pad 326 has a sheet-like magnetic mount 357 made of a material that hardens reversibly when subjected to vibration, and the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side is placed on the magnetic mount 357 (FIG. 13). As a result, the magnetic mount 357 hardens when the permanent magnet 327 is vibrated, expanding the vibration area and making it easier to transmit the vibration to the passenger.

[0096] (4) The vibrator-equipped seat 300 further includes an ECU 370 as a control unit that controls the vibration actuator 352 (FIG. 13). When notifying the user of certain information, the ECU 370 outputs a control signal to drive the vibration actuator 352. This makes it possible to provide the user with information in an appropriate manner by applying vibrations.

[0097] In the above embodiment (FIG. 13), a pair of upper and lower permanent magnets 327 (first permanent magnets) are arranged on the back side of the skin 323, but the number and arrangement of the first permanent magnets are not limited to those described above. For example, the number of first permanent magnets may be one. However, if there are multiple first permanent magnets, it is easier to transmit vibration to the occupant. In the above embodiment (FIG. 13), the same number of permanent magnets 356 (second permanent magnets) as the permanent magnets 327 are arranged on the inside of the back pad 322 in correspondence with the permanent magnets 327 on the skin side, but the number and arrangement of the second permanent magnets are not limited to those described above. The number of the first permanent magnets and the second permanent magnets do not have to be the same. In other words, the arrangement of the second permanent magnets may be any as long as they are arranged within a range where they interact with the first permanent magnets.

[0098] In the above embodiment (FIG. 13), the recess 325 and the lid pad 326 (lid portion) covering the recess 325 are provided in the back pad 322 (seat pad) provided on the back side of the skin 323 of the seat back 320, but these may be provided in the cushion pad 312 provided on the back side of the skin 313 of the seat cushion 310. In the above embodiment (FIG. 13), the linear vibration actuator 352 that moves the vibrator 353 back and forth in the vertical direction is provided as the vibration actuator, but the configuration of the vibration actuator is not limited to this.

[0099] In the above embodiment (FIG. 13), the magnetic mount 357 (planar structure) made of a material that hardens reversibly when subjected to vibration is provided on the cover pad 326, but the material of the planar structure is not limited to this. In the above embodiment (FIG. 13), when notifying the user of predetermined information, the ECU 370 as the control unit outputs a control signal to drive the vibration actuator 352, but the predetermined information includes various information to be notified to the driver and passengers other than the driver. The vibration pattern may be changed depending on the type of information to be notified to the passengers.

[0100] The vehicle seats 100, 200, 300 described above can be applied not only to vehicles, but also to vehicles other than vehicles, such as airplanes, ships, etc. The vehicle seats 200, 300 can be used by modifying them to become the vehicle seat 100 in FIG. 1A.

[0101] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. The above-mentioned embodiment and one or more modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 small vehicle, 11b front end surface, 12a rear end surface, 100 vehicle seat, 101 driver's seat, 102 passenger seat, 103 auxiliary seat, 110 seat cushion, 114 cutout, 115L lower rail, 120 seat back, 135 recess, 200 vehicle seat, 210 seat cushion, 214 seating surface, 216 bottom surface, 220 seat back, 221 central frame, 222 split seat back, 224 seating surface, 226 rear surface, 230 support frame, 232 vertical frame, 236 rotating shaft, 240 rotating device, 300 vehicle seat, 320 seat back, 322 back pad, 323 upholstery, 325 recess, 326 lid pad, 352 vibration actuator, 327 Permanent magnet, 353 Transducer, 356 Permanent magnet, 357 Magnet mount, 370 ECU, SF1, SF3 left end face, SF2, SF4 right end face

Claims

1. A vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back, the vehicle seat being mounted on a vehicle, a first seat having a first seat cushion and a first seat back; a second seat having a second seat cushion and a second seat back and disposed obliquely rearward of the first seat, a rear end portion of the first seat cushion is located rearward of a front end portion of the second seat cushion, The first seat cushion and the second seat cushion each have a pair of left and right side end portions, an end face of a first side end portion on one side in the left-right direction that is the second seat side, among the pair of left and right side ends of the first seat cushion, is located on the one side in the left-right direction with respect to an end face of a second side end portion on the other side in the left-right direction that is the first seat side, among the pair of left and right side ends of the second seat cushion, A vehicle seat, characterized in that a relief portion is provided in at least one of the rear end of the first side end and the front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, The vehicle seat, wherein the relief portion has a notch provided in at least one of a rear end of the first side end and a front end of the second side end.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, A vehicle seat further comprising a third seat disposed rearward of the first seat and on the other left-right side of the second side end of the second seat.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, A vehicle seat, wherein the width of the third seat in the left-right direction is narrower than the width of the first seat in the left-right direction.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, A vehicle seat, characterized in that the floor of the vehicle on which the third seat is installed is provided with a concave storage section in which the third seat can be stored when the third seat is not in use.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, a plurality of first seat rails extending in the front-rear direction on an upper surface of a floor of the vehicle and supporting the first seat in a front-rear direction; a second seat rail extending in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the floor and supporting the second seat so as to be movable in the front-rear direction; A vehicle seat, characterized in that a portion of the plurality of left-right direction first seat rails and a portion of the plurality of left-right direction second seat rails are identical.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, the vehicle seat is capable of being transformed from a use position in which a user can sit on it to a non-use position in which a user cannot sit on it; The vehicle seat, wherein the seat back is configured such that a width of the seat back in the non-use position is narrower than a width of the seat back in the use position.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, A vehicle seat further comprising a rotation device that supports the seat cushion rotatably about an axis extending in a vertical direction.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, a seat cushion support portion that rotatably supports the seat cushion so that the seat cushion stands up in the non-use position, Each of the seat cushion and the seat back has a seating surface on which a user sits and a back surface opposite to the seating surface, The vehicle seat, in the non-use position, a distance from the axis to the rear surface of the seat back and a distance from the axis to the rear surface of the seat cushion are approximately equal.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 9, A vehicle seat characterized in that the back surface of the seat back and the back surface of the seat back are configured in an approximately arc-like shape so as to extend along a cylindrical surface centered on the axis line in the non-use position.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 7 or 8, The seat back of the vehicle is characterized in that it has a rotation axis extending generally in the vertical direction, and a pair of widthwise back rotation portions that are rotatable inward in the width direction around the rotation axis.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 9, the seat cushion support portion has a vertical portion extending in a vertical direction near an end portion of the seat cushion on the seat back side, and a horizontal shaft provided at an upper end portion of the vertical portion and extending in a horizontal direction, The vehicle seat, wherein the seat cushion is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction via the horizontal shaft.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, a vibration actuator that drives a vibrator built into at least one of the seat cushion and the seat back; A skin that constitutes a seating surface on which a user sits; A first permanent magnet disposed on the back side of the skin; a second permanent magnet attached to a surface of the vibrator and vibrating when driven by the vibration actuator; A vehicle seat, characterized in that the second permanent magnet is disposed within a range in which it interacts with the first permanent magnet.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 13, Further comprising a seat pad provided on the back side of the skin, The seat pad has a recess recessed from a surface of the seat pad facing the skin, and a lid portion covering the recess, the vibration actuator and the second permanent magnet are disposed in the recess, A vehicle seat, characterized in that the first permanent magnet is disposed in the lid portion.

15. The vehicle seat according to claim 14, The lid portion has a planar structure made of a material that is reversibly hardened by the action of vibration, The vehicle seat, wherein the first permanent magnet is disposed on the structural body.

16. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 13 to 15, A control unit for controlling the vibration actuator is further provided. The vehicle seat, wherein the control unit outputs a control signal to drive the vibration actuator when notifying the user of predetermined information.

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